Caterpillar adds gas genset capable of running on hydrogen

Caterpillar announced that the company has added Cat CG260 gas generator sets to its portfolio of commercially available power solutions capable of running on hydrogen fuel.

Now available at global Cat dealers for 50 or 60 Hz applications, the 12- and 16-cylinder versions of the Cat CG260 are approved to operate on gas containing up to 25% hydrogen by volume. The CG260 provides up to 4.5 MW of electric power for continuous, prime and load management requirements. Additionally, Caterpillar offers retrofit kits to update CG260 generator sets already installed with these same hydrogen capabilities.

With the latest addition, Caterpillar now offers a gas generator set portfolio ranging from 400 kW to 4.5 MW offering hydrogen blending opportunities through factory-installed hardware and retrofit kits for the CG132B, CG170B, CG260 and G3500H platforms. 

“The movement toward lower carbon solutions for power generation is accelerating,” said Melissa Busen, vice president for Caterpillar Large Electric Power. “Caterpillar is positioned today with a large and growing lineup of technologies to help customers integrate hydrogen-fueled systems into their power strategies.”

Caterpillar and hydrogen-powered solutions

Caterpillar has extensive expertise in hydrogen-fueled power technologies that minimize impacts on maintenance costs and schedules, availability, and operations. 

Since 2022, the company has offered demonstrator Cat G3516 gas generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen. Recommended for locations with an abundant supply of hydrogen fuel, they are available with a maximum rating of 1000 kW for 50 Hz or 60 Hz continuous applications.

Caterpillar recently announced the success of its collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate the viability of using large-format hydrogen fuel cells to supply reliable backup power for data centers. The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, using two Cat Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems and a 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell. Backed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the demonstration is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the H2@Scale initiative.

Additionally, Caterpillar is collaborating with District Energy St. Paul to demonstrate a 2.0 MW combined heat and power (CHP) system fueled by various combinations of hydrogen and natural gas. The project is supported and partially funded by the DOE, and it is backed by the NREL.